Just Talking Podcast

Terri Wingham, Founder and Executive Director of the Fresh Chapter Alliance Foundation is my guest this week. We discuss Terri's battle with breast cancer and her journey to understanding what it means to be a survivor. We also discuss Medicine X, why she applied to be a presenter, and she shares a memorable encounter from the conference. Most importantly, we discuss A Fresh Chapter, why Oprah unknowingly gets an assist for its origins, and what Terri has planned for the coming months. Enjoy.

Follow Terri on Twitter at @terriwingham and @afreshchapter.

And as mentioned, go to afreshchapter.com for more information on upcoming volunteer opportunities in Los Angeles and India.

Run Time - 1:00:18

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This week I'm joined by Drew Scanlon, Giant Bomb's Senior Video Producer. Drew shares stories from his time as a video game tester for Electronic Arts and some of the projects he contributed to at Backbone Entertainment. I try to wrap my head around the fact that Drew's career with Whiskey Media started with a Craigslist post. Drew describes the magic of a Giant Bomb live show. And I learn about the origins of Giant Bomb's Flight Club. Enjoy.

Follow Drew on Twitter at @DrewScanlon and various Flight Club hijinks on giantbomb.com.

And as mentioned, be sure to check out the Giant Bomb Extra Life team page for ways to contribute and participate in the 24-hour gaming marathon.

Run Time - 1:07:12

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Recapping our time at Stanford for Medicine X, I'm joined by fellow diabetes advocate Sara Nicastro. We discuss Sara's expectations going into the conference and how they compare to my own having participated last year. Sara lists her some of her top panels and speakers from the weekend. I share the many contributing factors to my high stress level prior to moderating my panel. And we break down some of the controversial statements made by Sonny Vu and explain why a conference like Medicine X is the perfect place to have an open dialog about those types of topics. Oh, and we talk about cats. Enjoy.

For more information about Medicine X, go to medicinex.stanford.edu.

You can follow Sara on Twitter at @saraknic and read her Medicine X write ups at momentsofwonderful.com.

And if that wasn't enough, I'm writing about Medicine X on my blog at tobesugarfree.com.

Run Time - 59:31

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Jessica Mills is many things: actor, writer, producer, geek, and also hilarious. Most recently she launched a Kickstarter called Mission G.E.E.K. Jessica joins me on the podcast this week to talk about the origins of Awkward Embraces and why she needed two different Indie GoGo campaigns to complete the second season. I learn about the nuances of comedy writing. Finally, we cover everything you need to know about her latest project, Mission G.E.E.K., which you should strongly consider supporting. Enjoy.

You can follow Jessica on Twitter at @geekyjessica and you can see both seasons of Awkward Embraces on YouTube.

And be sure to check out her Kickstarter, Mission G.E.E.K., which ends October 17th.

Run Time - 34:00

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In making final preparations for this year's Medicine X Conference at Stanford, I'm joined by Erin Moore. Erin is the mother of four children, one of whom lives with cystic fibrosis. We discuss her son's diagnosis story, why she started blogging, and the diversity of her patient advocacy efforts. Later on in the podcast I learn about Collaborative Chronic Care Networks (C3N), Erin's involvement in building a C3N for cystic fibrosis, and why Cincinnati is the best place for her family to live. Enjoy.

You can follow Erin on Twitter at @ekeeleymoore and at her blog, 66roses.com.

Run Time - 53:45

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James Portnow, CEO of Rainmaker Games and writer for Extra Credits, is my guest this week. While our conversation largely focuses on the importance of design in video games, we spend some time covering James' education path, his work at Activision, and at Next-Gen Magazine. James explains why he can't talk much about the work he did at Divide by Zero Games or currently does at Rainmaker Games, and the significance of white-listing his clients when being approached with possible work. Finally we cover his writing on the web series Extra Credits, the benefit of not addressing the "topic of the moment", and how directly addressing Microsoft in one episode started an important dialog that could help shape the future of online gaming. Enjoy.

You can find Extra Credits on Penny Arcade, the show's YouTube Channel, and be sure to check in on the Extra Credits Facebook Page if you want to talk to James directly (he's a busy guy).

Run Time - 1:03:29

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Previewing one of the many ePatient perspectives that will be shared at the upcoming Medicine X Conference in Stanford this Fall, Emily Bradley is my guest this week. We discuss her journey with chronic illness and chronic pain including, but not limited to, Still's Disease, acute idiopathic scoliosis, endometriosis, secondary fibromyalgia, and Chushing's Disease. We also discuss the value of social media in sharing her experiences and connecting with others in the patient community. And Emily shares her motivations for attending and her expectations of the upcoming Medicine X Conference in Stanford, where she will be one of the featured ePatients. Enjoy.

You can follow Emily on Twitter at @chroniccurve and chroniccurve.tumblr.com.

As mentioned, you should really read Emily's full diagnosis story at chroniccurve.tumblr.com/mystory.

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/iamspartacus/Just_Talking-204-Chronic_Curve.mp3]

Run Time - 57:25

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Matthew Rorie comes on the podcast this week to talk about life at Virginia Tech during the peak of the Michael Vick era, proper puppy petting techniques, and his various writing jobs over the years. We also discuss the art of writing a video game guide, his work at Obsidian Entertainment, and the experience of building Screened.com from the ground up. Finally we discuss his role at Giant Bomb, and our expectations for PAX Prime (as this was recorded before we traveled to Seattle). Enjoy.

You can follow Matthew on Twitter at @frailgesture, matthewrorie.tumblr.com, and of course Giantbomb.com.

Run Time - 1:01:02

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Proving the Internet is awesome, the co-founders of A Sweet Life, Jessica Apple and Michael Aviad, join me from Tel Aviv, Israel. As both Jessica and Michael have type 1 diabetes, the opening of our conversation covers their individual diagnosis stories. We then move to 'A Sweet Life', it's inception, it's initial reception, and it's growth over the past few years. We also discuss the importance and impact of making science-heavy content accessible, and the value of the diabetes community when you're living on the other side of the world. Finally, I learn about their newly formed non profit, the Diabetes Media Foundation. Enjoy.

Be sure to check out asweetlife.org for the latest from Jessica, Michael, and their fantastic rotating cast of writers.

Run Time - 41:30

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Wendy Bryan, the brains behind 'I Heart Guts' is my guest this week. We discuss the origins of 'I Heart Guts' including Wendy's life before starting her own company. I learn about the wonderful world of child safety testing for stuffed toys. Wendy shares her perspective on the patient community and the reception she's received for her various products (or, organs). And I celebrate the fact that Wendy gets to have professional conversations using phrases like "I should have ordered more uteruses". Enjoy.

Be sure to check out iheartguts.com for the latest product listings and organ availability.

Run Time - 55:36

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